Strawberry plant named ‘Verdi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Strawberry plant named ‘Verdi’, characterized by its compact and upright plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; early and uniform fruit ripening; medium to large-sized conical fruits that are glossy and reddish orange in color; pleasant fruit aroma and sweet taste; and excellent fruit postharvest longevity.

Botanical designation: Fragaria x ananassa.

Cultivar denomination: ‘VERDI’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR & APPLICANT/ASSIGNEE

An European Community Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instant plant was filed by the Applicant/Assignee, Fresh Forward Holding B.V. of Eck en Wiel, The Netherlands on Mar. 29, 2018, application number 2018/0902. Foreign priority is not claimed to this application.

The Inventor and Applicant/Assignee assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor and/or Applicant/Assignee. Inventor and Applicant/Assignee claim a prior art exemption under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Strawberry plant, botanically known as Fragaria x ananassa and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Verdi’.

The new Strawberry plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Eck en Wiel, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new Strawberry plants with good fruit quality, ease of harvesting, high yield, large attractive fruits and good postharvest longevity.

The new Strawberry plant originated from a cross-pollination by the Inventor in March, 2011 in Eck en Wiel, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Fragaria x ananassa identified as code number E2008-001, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Fragaria x ananassa identified as code number E2006-367, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Strawberry plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Eck en Wiel, The Netherlands in June, 2012.

Asexual reproduction of the new Strawberry plant by runner cuttings in a controlled environment at Eck en Wiel, The Netherlands since July, 2012 has shown that the unique features of this new Strawberry plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Strawberry have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Verdi’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Verdi’ as a new and distinct Strawberry plant:

-   -   1. Compact and upright plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Early and uniform fruit ripening.     -   4. Medium to large-sized conical fruits that are glossy and         reddish orange in color.     -   5. Pleasant fruit aroma and sweet taste.     -   6. Excellent fruit postharvest longevity.

Plants of the new Strawberry differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Strawberry are more upright than and not as         spreading as plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Fruits of plants of the new Strawberry are conical in shape         whereas fruits of plants of the female parent selection are         cylindrical to rhomboid in shape.     -   3. With relation to their position to the fruits, sepals of         plants of the new Strawberry are positioned more horizontal than         and not as upright as sepals of plants of the female parent         selection.

Plants of the new Strawberry differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Strawberry are more upright than and not as         spreading as plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Fruits of plants of the new Strawberry are reddish orange in         color whereas fruits of plants of the male parent selection are         more orange in color.     -   3. Seeds of plants of the new Strawberry are positioned level         with the fruit surface whereas seeds of plants of the male are         positioned slightly below the fruit surface.

Plants of the new Strawberry can be compared to plants of Fragaria x ananassa ‘Clery’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Strawberry differ primarily from plants of ‘Clery’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Strawberry are more upright than and not as         spreading as plants of ‘Clery’.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Strawberry are darker green in         color than leaves of plants of ‘Clery’.     -   3. Plants of the new Strawberry have longer trusses than plants         of ‘Clery’.     -   4. Fruits of plants of the new Strawberry are conical in shape         whereas fruits of plants of ‘Clery’ are cylindrical to rhomboid         in shape.

Plants of the new Strawberry can be compared to plants of Fragaria x ananassa ‘Elsanta’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Strawberry differ primarily from plants of ‘Elsanta’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Strawberry are more upright than and not as         spreading as plants of ‘Elsanta’.     -   2. Fruits of plants of the new Strawberry are conical in shape         whereas fruits of plants of ‘Elsanta’ are cordate in shape.     -   3. Seeds of plants of the new Strawberry are positioned level         with the fruit surface whereas seeds of plants of ‘Elsanta’ are         positioned slightly below the fruit surface.

Plants of the new Strawberry can also be compared to plants of Fragaria x ananassa ‘Allegro’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,964. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Strawberry differ primarily from plants of ‘Allegro’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Strawberry are somewhat less vigorous than         plants of ‘Allegro’.     -   2. Plants of the new Strawberry have slightly larger flowers         with broader calyxes than plants of ‘Allegro’.     -   3. Plants of the new Strawberry produce heavier fruits than         plants of ‘Allegro’.     -   4. The fruit's flesh of plants of the new Strawberry is lighter         reddish orange in color than the fruit's flesh of plants of         ‘Allegro’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Strawberry plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Strawberry plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a top perspective view of typical flowering and fruiting plants of ‘Verdi’ grown in a greenhouse environment.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical flowering and fruiting plants of ‘Verdi’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in beds and 2.5-liter containers with two plants per container during the spring and summer in a glass-covered greenhouse in Eck en Wiel, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Strawberry production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 25° C. and night temperatures ranged from 7° C. to 14° C. Plants were one year old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Fragaria x ananassa ‘Verdi’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Fragaria x             ananassa identified as code designation E2008-001, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Fragaria x             ananassa identified as code designation E2006-367, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By runner cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About one to four days at             soil temperatures about 15° C. and ambient temperatures             about 17° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About two to             three weeks at soil temperatures about 15° and ambient             temperatures about 17° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             cream to white in color, actual color of the roots is             dependent on substrate composition, water quality,             fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and             physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Perennial; compact, upright plant             habit; leaves basal; moderately vigorous growth habit;             moderate growth rate; densely foliated.         -   Plant height.—About 25 cm to 35 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 35 cm to 40 cm.         -   Stolon texture.—Sparsely pubescent.         -   Stolon color.—Close to 145A moderately tinged with             anthocyanin. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement and appearance.—Basal rosette; compound with             typically three to four leaflets per leaf; leaflets             typically non-variegated, but may occasionally show a random             variegated sector and leaves typically without anthocyanin             when grown under normal and healthy growing conditions;             slight amount of blistering observed.         -   Leaflet length.—About 10 cm to 13 cm.         -   Leaflet width.—About 7 cm to 10 cm.         -   Leaflet shape.—Broadly ovate; terminal leaflet concave in             cross-section.         -   Leaflet apex.—Obtuse to acute.         -   Leaflet base.—Acute.         -   Leaflet margin.—Serrate.         -   Leaflet texture and luster, upper surface.—Pubescent;             moderately glossy.         -   Leaflet texture and luster, lower surface.—Pubescent, rough;             matte.         -   Leaflet venation.—Pinnate.         -   Leaflet color.—Developing leaflets, upper surface: Close to             137A. Developing leaflets, lower surface: Close to 138A.             Fully expanded leaflets, upper surface: Close to between             137A and 139A; venation, close to 144C. Fully expanded             leaflets, lower surface: Close to 138A; venation, close to             144C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 15 cm to 35 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm             to 4 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; hairs             orientated horizontally. Color, upper and lower surfaces:             Close to 145A.         -   Stipules.—Length: Medium about 1.4 cm to 2 cm. Color: Light             green becoming brown to dark brown with development. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower form and flowering habit.—Rotate flowers arranged             singly at lateral apices; flowers held upright and at or             below the foliar plane; flowers are self-fertile; about 60             to 75 flowers develop per plant during the flowering season.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower in late April/early             May in The Netherlands.         -   Flower diameter.—Medium to large, about 2.5 cm to 3.5 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 3 mm to 5 mm.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Single whorl of six petals; petals not             imbricate. Length: About 6 mm to 9 mm. Width: About 7 mm to             10 mm. Shape: Round to broadly ovate. Apex: Rounded. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Color: When opening and             fully opened, upper surface: Close to 155D. When opening and             fully opened, lower surface: Close to 155D.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement and calyx description: Single whorl of             10 to 14 sepals; calyx, star-shaped; calyx adherence is             slightly raised; sepals are orientated level or horizontal             from the fruit; calyx diameter is slightly larger than fruit             diameter. Calyx length: About 1.5 cm to 2 cm. Calyx             diameter: About 2 cm to 3 cm. Length: About 1.2 cm to             1.7 cm. Width: About 3 mm to 6 mm. Shape: Lanceolate to             ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 137A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 7 cm to 10 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm             to 2 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close             to 144B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 3 cm to 10 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm             to 2 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 90° from peduncle             axis. Texture: Pubescent; hairs orientated horizontally.             Color: Close to 144B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About 25.             Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape: Lanceolate to             elliptic. Anther color: Close to 4B. Pollen amount:             Abundant. Pollen color: Close to 12B. Pistils: Quantity per             flower: About 30. Pistil length: About 1 mm to 2 mm. Stigma             shape: Rounded. Stigma color: Close to 5A. Fruits: Quantity:             About five to eleven per truss; about 60 to 75 fruits             develop per plant during the fruiting season; early fruit             ripening; fruit bearing non-remontant. Postharvest             longevity: About seven to ten days at 7° C. Length: About 2             cm to 5 cm. Diameter: About 2 cm to 3.5 cm. Shape:             Relatively, fruits are medium to large in size and are             conical in shape. Fruit weight per fruit, first quality:             About 17.7 g. Fruit weight per plant, first quality: About             1,070 g. Firmness: Firm. Fragrance, taste: Pleasant; good             balance between sweetness and acidity; nice aroma. Degrees             brix: About 8.0. Luster: Uniformly glossy. Surface             unevenness: Smooth. Color, surface: Close to 43A. Color,             flesh: Close to 35B. Achene density: Medium. Achene             position: Level to slightly above the fruit surface. Achene             weight: About 0.00051 g. Achene color: Close to 1B. Band             width without achenes: Narrow. -   Pathogen and pest resistance: Plants of the new Strawberry have been     observed to be resistant to Phytophthora cactorum, Sphaerotheca     macularis and Verticillium dahliae. To date, plants of the new     Strawberry have not been observed to be resistant to pests and other     pathogens common to Strawberry plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Strawberry plant named ‘Verdi’ as illustrated and described. 